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This spoke to me so deeply. I wanted to share part, but what part?!?! Soooo, I think you should read it all. I know there are others needing to read it....I just know it......millions actually!Blessings

Peter 1 (NIV)1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.Praise to God for a Living Hope3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the …

Yesterday my beautiful kids spent a couple of hours outside playing in the leftover snow and just having a blast. Then in the afternoon it started to rain and within minutes the lovely snow was gone. Just like Western Oregon. At least it wasn't freezing rain. I hate that stuff. So the rest of the night I would occasionally check outside and it was still wet, unfrozen rain. This morning we get up....lightly raining...still unfrozen. Start to make plans for the day such as shopping for stocking stuffers. Got the baby up, took her to change her clothes, diaper, make a bottle and walked into the kitchen and what the heck? White stuff coming down like crazy. Everything already white outside. Wow. Turned my cell phone on and message after message coming through. lol Doesn't take western oregonians much to get excited! It is soooo beautiful. From a previous post.....

Ahhhh O Holy Night playing on the radio....kids are playing in their rooms....baby is cooing....give me a moment.....

Playing with Nana on the floor A with rosy cheeks LB, neighbor friend V, and MK

S and J standing against the wind

Trudged through the snow to see Nana What a sweet Sunday it has been. We had snow in Portland Oregon!!! More specifically at our house. We don't have snow often, so it's a treat and this is the first time in YEARS I have been happy to see the snow fall. To see the wind blowing like crazy swirling the snow around. One big difference? I don't have to go to work tomorrow. I didn't have anywhere to go today. Even church was cancelled. I just stayed home, decorated the tree, made home made soup and muffins, dressed and undressed kids several times today. Picked up wet clothes and sheets off the floor. My eldest son and his wife and the owners of my beautiful grandson bundled up and trudged through the snow to get here. My son wanted to play with the kids in the snow. :-) They only live about 4 blocks away. CJ slept like, um...like a baby on the way here. He was…

So, there are several (all but me) in my family who think we need to load the family up, drive to a farm, search in the rain and mud, then saw down the perfect Christmas tree. Then sell my fine china (not that I have any) in order to pay for said tree (it USE to be cheaper to cut your own). I have done this for many years and to be honest. The only part of it I like is seeing the smiles on the faces of my kids. But when I was a single mom, I had an artificial tree (aka FAKE) and guess what? The kids still smiled. When we would dig it out of storage, place the synthetic boughs appropriately, hang the lights and ornaments it still brought joy. But then I remarried and thus back to the trudging for a tree again. Yes there is an aspect I love about real trees. The smell...but pretty much...that's it! I have had my fill for a lifetime.After last years hunt (because the cut your own trees are so expensive) I had actually talked my husband into letting me get an artificial so I was prepa…

As part of our homeschooling we always do bible study first. What I have chosen to do is pick a scripture each week and we talk about it for the entire week. We have discussions and we have exercises I have created to help them (us) memorize the scripture. I have NEVER been able to memorize scripture. I have just never had the memory for such things. Same reason I have never been able to memorize multiplication facts and MANY other things. It's frustrating but it is what it is.Some of what we have studied has been the Ten Commandments, the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37) and others. This week our study is one of my favorite scriptures. Philippians 4:8. I love this scripture. It's beautiful. It's what I want to attain. I want to daily have my thoughts on such things but for anyone who knows me this is opposite of my personality. I am a worrier. I am a fretter. I am judgmental. Life has not be horrible to me but most of my life has been a struggle. Be it my life d…

Dinner with my friend was great. It's always great to share some time with her. It's never enough time, but sweet it was. Dinner was fantastic. My fav...Olive Garden.We had a good day yesterday. We took the kids to see Santa and have photo's taken. We were there my grandson also. Last year my adult son J was working at the same place and was the photographer. We took the two girl (S and A) and as he got ready to take their pic he said "Girls I have a surprise...Emily is pregnant" and he caught them in midst's of gasps! So that is how they found out about their nephew coming. Yesterday we had their pics taken with their little nephew. We don't get the pics til today so can't post yet. Then I had a pic taken with the foster kiddos. First M and L and then baby P. She wouldn't smile because she was ready for a nap and the photographer didn't try very hard but she still looked darling.Then we spent the afternoon at my house. Eating lunch and watch…

Wow...I can't believe it. I get to go to dinner with my best friend and with no kids in tow. Will I know how to carry on a conversation without interruptions from little ones? Will I know how to finish a thought? That's the great thing about best friends. You can go weeks months and even years without actually talking and just pick right back up again and talk for hours. God truly brought this friend into my life. He is the one that connected us. Her name is Amy. A name very dear to my heart. It was through working at the Red Cross we met. We didn't really become friends though until she encouraged me to apply for a job in her department. God blessed me with that job. That was the best years of my life within the Red Cross. I had many good times in my 10 years there, but the time I was in Special Collections (for 4 of those years) was the best. The people in the department were funny, loving, and oh so supportive. We all became very good friends. At one point Amy even becam…

I'm not sure why it's so easy to get on a pitty pot but it is. This darn flesh is so consuming sometimes. It's been a rough week but then unexpected events happen and your perspective is changed. A dear sister in the Lord may have a cancerous tumor on her shoulder. I know she will have complete victory in this but consider the fact she went in to see about a torn rotator cuff. Wham...then she is hit with the big C word. Life changed.Another sister in the Lord has been working on getting an adoption of two older siblings. Siblings to her 3 adopted children. It has not be an easy road for her and on top of that she is expecting her 3rd bio in February. Her husband planning to go to Ethiopia in January to get the older two. Then this morning, however, the unexpected. She starts bleeding, goes to the hospital and the baby is delivered by C section within an hour. Now she is recovering from surgery and we are all praying her and baby will be fine. Life changed.So do I REAL…

It is Thanksgiving Eve and I am looking forward to tomorrow. My mom, one of the greatest women to have ever walked this earth, has had Thanksgiving at her home for several years now. She was able to buy a new home a few years ago and is so in love with it. Prior to that, she lived in a tiny 2 bedroom fourplex that had a 1 step kitchen. Any direction you turned it only took one step (if that) to reach each counter, the stove, or the fridge. The dining room only a tad larger than that. So? Now she has a huge kitchen with a breakfast nook, a large dining room and a large living room just off the dining room. One year we were able to get over 40 people (excuse me...not just people but family) in there. It was GREAT! My mom was flying high and we all had a great time. We won't have that many this year (darn) but because it blesses my Mom so to have Thanksgiving there I am MORE than happy to go to her house. To see her so happy makes me happy. To see her up and able to fix the meal make…

It's windy and cold here in Portland today but with the sun shining the kids just HAD to go outside. Baby is taking a nap, A is off to basketball practice, S is at Grandma and Poppies (her other home) and the 3 left are outside riding scooters terrorizing the neighborhood. We have neighbors who have yelled at the kids for making too much noise. The neighbors down the road just sold their home because they were so tired for being harassed about their kids. Kids playing outside yelling and screaming and riding bikes. It's sad. Kids can't be kids anymore. They need to be outside. Kids need to make noise. Kids need to be free to have some fun. I like the sound of them playing outside. I temper the screaming sometimes (it gets a bit much) but other than that.....noise outside made by kids is great. The same neighbors who have yelled at my kids are also the ones who have a dog who would bark everytime we went outside AND you can hear the football game blaring on weekends. Funny …

I can't imagine what it would be like to not be able to feed my children. I can't imagine it and I pray to God I never experience it. Have we become complacent to children starving? Is that possible? I believe so. I have. I have not thought about it for a while. I have not done anything about it for a while. On other blogs I have seen pictures and read stories of children starving in Haiti's. Is this even on the news? I admit I watch the news rarely but what I have watched never showed the devastation of the floods, I NEVER saw a story about the schools that collapsed, and I never see stories about starving children in Haiti or anywhere for that matter. I see an occasional newspaper or magazine story. I see an occasional commercial, but no story on tv news. Then I read the blogs who share this information and it breaks my heart. As I get so tired of cooking, I see pics of little kids on the brink of death. Literally on the brink. Having no food for my kids.....watching the…

So our lovely M just turned 8. She is a blessed girl because she was able to have 3 THREE birthdays. She had a 'Princess Tea Party' on Saturday, her real birthday (celebrated with a powdered/raspberry filled donut with a candle in the middle for breakfast) on Tuesday, then a family party tonight with cupcakes and presents. She LOVED every sugared moment of it. This special attention has made her very happy. I even received a random hug yesterday which is unlike her. We have several Hannah Montana and High School Musical items now floating around the bedroom.

Her life is not the way she would have it. Her parents are not where they should be. But right now, by God's Grace she is loved, she is safe, and she is being blessed by His goodness. God knows what the plans for her future are and I pray with all my heart she walks in those plans. I pray God will be the father she desires. I pray she allows him to consume her heart. I pray she is blessed beyond words all the days of h…

We had a our date night last night. I must say the movie 'Fireproof' ....wow it is AWESOME! We loved it. I teared up I don't know how many times ,and I actually laughed OUT loud. I am anxious to see it again. We are sending my son J and his wife (you know, the two that graced us with a grandson!!!) to see it tonight. Kirk Cameron is fantastic. What a great actor. The woman who played his wife...not so much. She just wasn't a great actress but she did ok. I am glad we saw it. I would love a miracle or two in my marriage but....it was a movie. All my life I have hoped for the scenario's in the movies and it just doesn't happen. The drama in the movie last night was very true to life though and the only thing that gives me hope about the ending to that movie being a possibility is because of the God I serve. He can do all things.

I have mentioned my moose dogs on my blog before and I actually got a picture the other day of both of them together. Usually if they are together, Lilly (the Dane) is sprawled on the floor and Sirion (the Weimer) is snuggled all up into her belly. Sorry for the bright eyes (no time for editing)...they are not alien dogs...only Moose Dogs! They drive me crazy and yet I just love them. Especially Sirion. He is a rescue. We found him at the animal shelter and he was nothing but skin and bones. I took a huge leap of faith (or made a really stupid decision at the time) and adopted him. He was 3 years old, not altered, starved and we had no history of him. I can't believe I wanted to bring him home. It could have been a huge disaster. BUT...he has turned out to be the GREATEST dog I have ever owned....and my family can attest I have owned plenty. He did great with the kids, with Lilly, and the cat. He is house broken and he is not food aggressive. He is a lover and he loves to be calle…

We had a wicked storm move through yesterday that hit Washington harder than Oregon. I enjoyed it though. There was no thunder and lightening (which I hate) and I no longer live in a home that is surrounded by huge fir trees so I was able to enjoy it. Lots of blowing rain. Maybe it was just my mood but it was just peaceful to me.Found out yesterday the foster baby will be with us a least until February, that is when the next court session will be held. So, it was good news and bad news. We of course are not ready to lose her. She is so precious, so beautiful and we enjoy her very much but on the other hand the longer we have her the harder it will be when she goes back to her bio Mom. I pray God's will for her life. I pray for protection over her. I pray if she does go back that she will be loved and kept safe. This is not an easy road for me but I know it's the road I am to be walking and I know God will get me through what I need to get through. I pray victory over the situa…

Not sure why, but felt led to post this scripture. Must be for someone especially for today....maybe even me?!?!

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

He is a God of ALL people. Not a select few. Not just those that are wealthy or those that are poor. Not just for those who great teachers and those that are not. Not just for those who are healthy and those that are not. He is the One and True God. He is the Almighty and He is Love!

Football season has come to an end. The hardest part of the season, aside from hoping your son doesn't get creamed on the field, is the cold weather. We were fortunate this year. Only a couple of 'cool' games and only one rainy one. Wow...that's a first. We had the football banquet last Tuesday and our son received an award, making us quite proud. His award is...... 'Defensive Lineman of the Year' As of Wednesday, we have already started basketball.....no rest for the weary! lol

My public school kids have today off and tomorrow also for Veterans day. It's a nice break. They slept in until 7:00 which was nice. The best part was not having to get up and out. We could stay in our p.j.'s and take our time with breakfast. I am sitting at my pc drinking a cup of coffee while they play. Two baskets of laundry are staring at me. Yes...staring! Laundry takes on a life of it's own! It know I can not ignore it all day so it is taunting me. But until then, I will drink my coffee and posts these pics and try not to look out the corner of my eye.Saturday I took 4 of the 6 six kids coat and clothes shopping and they were good and I didn't have to pull my hair out. They had so much fun. The highlight for L was us finding him not only a Spiderman Coat but also a Spiderman robe. He was overly excited. This boy loves soft fluffy blankets so a robe for the mornings and evenings are the perfect thing for him and to find one with Spiderman....wow! We purchased some …

Well I still feel as though I am just keeping my head above water but that's a good thing right? I would rather be playing in the sand on a warm beach but at least I am not sinking like a stone.One of the challenges I am facing right now with working with the state is ALL the people in my life. They warn you but it's not until you are experiencing that the reality sinks in. I am a pretty private person when it comes to my home and my family so I knew God was going to stretch me. I wish I was like Mrs. Incredible. I love what she says "wife, mother, superhero!" yep....that's us mom's, but boy do I wish I could flexible like her. Mold and bend easily in whatever direction God would have me go. Why does my flesh have to resist.So, back to my state visitors. I have at minimum two calls a day (except Fridays usually), at least one person comes to my house 3 days of the week and then I take one of my kids to counseling once a week. So, Friday, Saturday, and Sunda…

Some weeks would just be better being skipped, but since we don't have that choice we just work at keeping our head above water.If anyone reads this blog/post...please pray for my household...pray for me. Bind the darkness in Jesus' name.

I am going to attempt to do some catch up. This little baby of mine is going to be the death of me. We can not get her on any kind of schedule and she can not be pacified very easily except for juggling her in your arms. So, this will be an attempt to post a very important event. The event was missed by me on my blog because I was consumed by packing and cleaning and organizing before the 'big' trip to Dland. The event? My parents anniversary....56th anniversary to be exact which was October 18th. I felt so guilty about not saying anything to them that day, I then called them from the hotel in Anaheim on Sunday the 19th. My mom informed me they too had forgotten their own anniversary! LOL....that's a first ever. They too were consumed with thoughts of the girls and I taking our trip. Anyways...here is my tribute to some WONDERFUL people...my parents! Ed and Deanna............My mom was 14 when she married my dad and my dad was 19. Oh so young. They went on to have 6 kids. Tw…

Greetings. I have returned from our Fantasy vacation. My feet are an inch flatter and the muscles in my calves are an inch bigger. Walk, walk, walk. It was fantastic though. To see the joy and wonder on the faces of my two girls was worth every cent and every drop of sweat and every burn of every muscle in my body. The highlights were walking in between my two girls and holding their hands, or having them hug and kiss on me without notice. Two of our nights we came back to the hotel, stripped off our shoes and pants and sat on the edge of the tub (all 3 of us) and soaked our feet. Laughing, cringing, drying off at the silly 3 D shows together. Going to a 'Princess Dinner' all beautiful and glimmering with 'Pixie Dust.' Just being together and sharing in 'Magic' moments. I love them so much and I am so grateful for the blessing of them and the blessing of this trip. The day we left (Sunday the 19th) my dad fell at church, broke his hip, and had emergency surgery …

I will be spending today finishing packing and getting the home and family left behind set up to survive without me.I feel incredibly burdened with the fact I am leaving my hard working husband home to spend his week vacation with 4 kids one of which is almost 4mths old and very needy. I am thrilled and thankful to be taking the girls on 'our' dream vacation but that doesn't remove the sadness I feel leaving the others behind. Why can't blessings in my life come without a hitch?!?! They never have....all the blessings in my life have come with burdens. Not sure why but they have.So, with a heavy heart I will do all my preparations for my hubby and the kids. I will do it with sensitivity to the ones left behind and yet with a big smile for the two going on the trip. What a tight rope!Pics of Mickey and friends will be posted next week.Blessings to you all in the name of Lord.